Agent Rogers
by it'sjust-Lex
Summary: Peggy Carter was pregnant when Captain America went under the ice. Little Lily Carter grew up being told stories of her heroic father, until a cruel twist of events changed everything she thought she knew about her life.
1. Chapter 1

"Sarah?"

"Oh, that won't work on her. She's never been called Sarah. It's always been Lily."

"Ah, well... Lily? Lily, dear, can you hear my voice? Squeeze my fingers if you can..."

Lily's eyes flew open and she struggled to get herself upright and back against the wall, frightened. She took a few seconds to glance around her, before she took a breath and tried to focus on the two people standing by her bed. The room was too bright- she squinted and went to put a hand over her eyes, but noticed her wrist was strapped loosely to a rail along the mattress. Confused, the girl frowned down at her hands, before her eyes adjusted and she looked up at the people- a concerned looking man with his hand almost touching her shoulder, and a woman just behind him with a clipboard. They were dressed in scrubs, but she definitely wasn't in a hospital. They looked far too friendly for that.

Lily frowned at them for a moment, before trying to speak.

"Where am I?"

Her voice came out rough, unused, and her throat grated at the effort. She cleared it uncomfortably as the man smiled.

"You're somewhere safe, Dr Thomas' facility. We're looking after you."

"Who are you?"

"We're your nurses. We're here to make sure you wake up safe and healthy. We've run our checks, and you look fine." The man smiled. "So it's all good, really."

The nurse behind him nodded, scribbling something down then smiling at Lily.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Miss Carter," she said happily. Lily nodded a little, looking around the room again.

"How long have I been out?"

The two looked at each other then, and Lily saw the doubt in their faces. She felt her heart clench, suddenly aware that she didn't know anything about where she was and why. She felt fear well up in her stomach.

"Long enough. We'll come to that in a moment, though, alright? We need to see what you know, and what you can remember," the man said kindly. Lily couldn't understand why, but she felt like she knew him. Trusted him, even, despite herself. She nodded, and he smiled.

"Here..." He undid the cuffs around her wrists, and helped her spin so her legs were over the edge of the bed. "Don't move too quickly- you haven't quite healed just yet."

The mattress was high, so her feet dangled in mid air. Lily savoured the feeling, noticing she was wearing a plain grey cotton dress that she didn't remember owning. The male nurse took the clipboard from the female.

"Right, Lily, I want you to answer me honestly. Don't be afraid if you don't know something, this is just to see where you are. We want to help you."

Frightened, Lily just nodded, and watched him. His name badge said 'Dr Gale'. That seemed to trigger a memory. Subconsciously, she raised a hand to her neck, and closed her fingers around nothing. Why did she feel like something was missing?

"Okay. Can you tell me your full name, and your age please?"

Lily licked her lips.

"Sarah-Lily Carter. I'm... I'm fourteen," she said cautiously. Dr Gale nodded as he ticked something on the clipboard.

"Good. When were you born?"

"I think... first of March, 1946."

"Mmhm. And where?"

"Brooklyn, New York."

"Who is your mother?"

Lily shook her head a little as a familiar image popped into it, a fond memory of sorts.

"Peggy Carter. But her real name is Margaret."

The doctor smiled, nodded, and then he composed himself.

"So it is. Now, Lily, this might get a little difficult, but I want you to tell me the last thing you remember. Don't be afraid if you're not sure, we just want to see how well you've been preserved."

Lily started a little at the word 'preserved'. What on earth did that mean? The woman behind Dr Gale seemed a little startled too. Still, Lily frowned and tried to remember.

"I...oh, God... I think I got up for school, got ready, kissed my mum goodbye, and then..." She blinked as she noticed a blank spot. "I'm not sure."

Dr Gale watched her carefully, then set his pencil scribbling again. He looked a little wary all of a sudden.

"That's better than we thought. Well done, dear."

"Where is my necklace?"

The doctor seemed more startled.

"We...we've kept it safe. Don't you worry about that."

There was a pause as Lily digested this.

"Dr Gale, where am I really? Why did you call me 'preserved'?"

Dr Gale didn't answer for a moment, just looked at his assistant behind him. When she offered no answer, he looked back at Lily and smiled as kindly as possible.

"You're too clever for me," he chuckled. He turned and nodded once to the nurse, who walked out of the room. "We've got someone here who's been desperate to see you. We thought you'd rather speak to him than us."

"Him?" Lily questioned, baffled. The doctor said no more, simply smiled at her again.

"Just wait here," he promised, leaving the room. After but a minute or two, the door re opened and Lily's heart accelerated as she saw who had been waiting outside.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hello! Thank you so much for your follows, favourites and reviews, I really wasn't expecting such a great response for just one chapter!**_

 _ **I love writing, and tend to write scenes as I think of them rather than chapters, often not in any logical order, so I apologise if this story seems a little disjointed. I honestly have so much written for these characters already, I'm just trying to figure out how best to publish them. It'll probably end up as an ongoing series of fun little one-shots :)**_

* * *

 **One month earlier**

Steve was starting to adjust to life in the 21st century.

It had been a month since he woke up in that shambles of a facade, and he'd just about managed to get his head around how much time had actually passed. Fury had given him an apartment in New York not far from where he'd grown up, so he still felt vaguelyat  
home despite how different everything now looked.

One thing Steve hadn't quite gotten over just yet, however, was Peggy.

When he sat down to read the next book on his list of things to catch up on, he jumped when his phone rang. It was Fury.

"Sir?"

"Rogers. May I see you in my office please, at your earliest convenience?" Fury said somewhat brightly. Steve frowned at his tone, but nodded tohimself.

"I'll be right in."

"Thank you."

Fury hung up, and Steve sat frowning for a moment before shutting his book and standing up. All but two minutes later, he was on his bike heading to SHIELD HQ.

When he got there, he went straight to Fury's office, and knocked twice.

"Come on in."

Steve opened the door, and went to sit in front of the desk. Fury seemed to smile when he saw him.

"Captain Rogers."

"Sir."

"I'll bet you're wondering why I wanted to see you on such short notice."

Steve nodded. "A little."

Fury just nodded.

"Life in our times treating you well?"

"I suppose so."

"Good."

There was silence for a moment, before Fury sighed and leaned over his desk.

"Look, Captain, I don't want to waste your time because I know it's precious to you, but the reason I called you in today is because we have something in our possession that will be of great interest to you. I don't expect you to hold your composure whenyou  
hear what I have to say, so don't worry about maintaining your tough guy status," he said smoothly. Steve frowned.

"What are you going to tell me?"

"A little story," Fury chuckled. Steve watched as he opened a drawer and pulled out a file, which he placed carefully on the desk between them. Steve noticed how thick it was. "About a girl called Lily. Prepare yourself- it's not pretty."

Steve nodded gravely, on his guard but admittedly a little curious. Fury opened the file and pushed it slightly towards him. Steve's eyes landed on a photograph of a scene that seemed to be an accident, with a truck on its side with another one dentedbeside  
it.

"In 1960, on her way home from school, this girl was crushed by an out-of-control truck that collided with another vehicle. She was killed instantly, as everything below her third rib was completely destroyed. The doctors had to practically scrape heroff  
of the road," Fury began pointedly.

Steve frowned as he picked the image up and looked at it closer- he could just see a mass of brown hair and the girl's outstretched arms poking from behind the wheels. Internally, he shuddered. Fury didn't notice, and continued on, taking another photographfrom  
the file and sliding it across.

"This is the man who did the scraping. Dr Edwin Thomas, the SSR's longest serving and most experienced medical practitioner. I'm sure you will have met him at some stage."

Steve looked at the image, and realised that he did indeed recognise the man in it. He was a kindly old soul, and Steve had always been grateful for his cheerful attitude after coming back bruised from a difficult mission. He nodded once.

"Now, the most important part of this story is that Lily was, in essence, reduced to a torso and something resembling her lower limbs. That means it was a huge operation to get her off that road, and taken away safely. The SSR would not have been quiteso  
meticulous if they hadn't had other intentions for her. And they only had intentions for her because this girl is Peggy Carter's daughter," Fury said smoothly, emphasising the last three words. Steve felt his heart skip a beat.

Fury simply continued on.

"Now, Dr Thomas here was a very gifted scientist. And, like every other gifted scientist of the time, he was interested in _you._ He wanted to be the one to recreate super serum, so badly that he knew he'd need to take a real risk to get anyfurther.  
And by that I mean a subject on which to experiment."

Steve felt a little sick as he realised where Fury was going with this, and his brow twitched.

"Up until now Doctor Thomas had been loathe to carry out his studies on a person, because it could easily have been very disastrous. However, there was a chance that his theory would be correct, and he could save a life, even prolong it- the closest thingto  
Super Serum since Captain America himself. Lily Carter was very dead, and had no hope otherwise. I suppose you could say the only way was up for her. She was the perfectspecimen," Fury said carefully, his tone suggesting his usual indifferencealthough  
his eyes watched Steve with curiosity, and perhaps a little sympathy.

Steve just shook his head, not sure whether he couldn't believe it or deep down he didn't want to.

"Specimen," he spat. He shook his head again. "Why go to all this trouble? Peggy would never condone experimentation on any person, especially not her own child, surely?"

"Captain Rogers, Lily Carter is not just Director Carter's daughter. Even you must know that a child cannot be born without two parents."

Steve just stared at him. Fury sighed.

"She was fourteen when she died. That makes her a forties baby. Do the math, Cap. Do you really think Director Carter was married when her daughter was born?"

"Are you saying Lily Carter is..."

"Lily Rogers? Yes I am. Congratulations."

The revelation hit Steve in the chest like a punch from the Hulk. He had a daughter. With Peggy. He smiled to himself as he came to terms with it.

His smile vanished as he realised that Peggy had raised this child alone, and that she was pregnant when he crashed that plane. The guilt started to well up, and he looked down at the photograph of the accident again.

Seeing the pain in his face, Fury sighed.

"I knew this would happen," he muttered, sifting through the pages of the file and pulling out another photograph, slightly smaller than the others. He looked at it himself for a moment, smiling slightly, then placed it on the desk and slid it acrossto  
the very shaken Captain.

Steve melted as soon as he saw it.

A young, freckled girl smiled up at him from the image, her long, thick hair falling in tight chocolate curls. She was clearly young, and her ice blue eyes gleamed with what would certainly have been intelligent curiosity. Steve's broken heart seemedto  
both swell with joy and break a little more at the sight of her, and the first thing he could think was how perfect she was.

"She looks like Peggy," he murmured. Fury smiled.

"She does indeed. Talks like her too. But I must say, this girl is more like you than any of us would care to imagine. Just look at those eyes," Fury chuckled. Steve's gaze snapped up to him, startled by his choice of words.

"Is? You mean she's still around?"

Fury pursed his lips.

"My, you are more observant than you take credit for, Cap. Your daughter has been held in a dormant state for fifty-something years, being fully reconstructed and configured by Dr Thomas' team. Director Carter had her transferred to the British facilityalmost  
as soon as she moved back to live over there herself. She's there now, and I received information from Thomas' grandson this morning that says they hope to have her awake within the next month. I personally thought you would like to know,"he  
said simply, somewhat kind. His lone eye remained steadily on Steve, who tensed his jaw as he tried to come to terms with it.

He had a daughter. She was alive. She was in Britain. And she was waking up soon.

"Thank you, sir," he said quietly. Fury smiled a little.

"Not a problem. Coulson has offered to arrange transport for whenever you want to get over there. Dr Gale at the facility has offered you a room to stay in. Just say the words, Cap."

Steve nodded, brushed his fingers across Lily's photograph. He gave a smirk as he looked at Fury and nodded.

"Will Coulson do same-day delivery?"

Fury chuckled at Cap's use of modern humour.

"I'm sure he will, for his favourite customer."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Present day**_

"Captain Rogers?"

Steve looked up from the book he was reading to see Lily's nurse smiling down at him. She was a small girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes. By the excited look on her face, he knew what she was going to tell him before she opened her mouth.

"She's awake."

"Can I see her?"

The nurse smiled.

"Come with me," she said softly. Steve nodded and stood, as the little nurse led him out of the viewing room and into the hallway. Upon seeing them, Dr Gale set down his clipboard and smiled.

"Take it slowly, Captain. Your daughter is very confused, and terribly frightened. She might not remember you straight away."

"Thank you, Doctor."

And then he was allowed in.

Steve shut the door behind him, took a deep breath and turned to face the girl.

"Hi," he said quietly, walking towards her slowly. He paused for a moment to gather his nerves, before taking a deep breath and continuing with steady steps.

When he was close enough, Steve ran his fingers along the mattress, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. He'd visited her daily since Fury told him about her, sure, but it was different now she was awake.

Steve smiled at his little girl, trying to comfort her, and was sure she could see the pain, joy and wonder all in his eyes. Lily didn't let anything show on her face, and stayed perfectly still as she regarded him suspiciously.

"Who are you?" she asked in a low voice. The distrust in her eyes sent a sharp pain through Steve's heart. He tried to look as honest as possible, terrified he might frighten her further. He shrugged a little.

"I'm...your dad."

Lily frowned a little. There was a moment of silence that made Steve feel anxious, as Lily watched him carefully. Had anyone ever told her about him? Did she have someone else to call her father? His heart sank at the thought.

As Steve came closer and stood quietly beside her bed, he just watched her. He waited for her to collect her thoughts, sort out her feelings. Her steady gaze didn't leave his the entire time.

In her eyes, Steve could see that she was terrified. She had no clue where she was, why she was there, and indeed how much time had passed. She didn't know if her mother was still alive, if there was still a war going on, if she was healthy. Steve didn't even know if the doctors had managed to preserve her memories of her life before the accident.

After thirty seconds that felt like forever, Lily seemed to jolt herself out of her reverie of thought, and blinked, looking up at Steve as her eyes filled with tears, and she broke down.

Steve panicked, and knelt in front of her, trying to calm her in whatever way he could, hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, hey..." His hands moved to her face as he tried to look into her eyes, and eventually she managed to focus on him. Steve smiled, tears in his own eyes. "It's alright. I'm here now. And they fixed you," he whispered. Lily's vision cleared for a moment, and she tried to smile.

"I remember," she murmured, and Steve's heart leapt. He smiled, and met her halfway as she leaned forward to wrap her arms around his neck. She took a deep breath, and smiled more easily. "They told me stories about you."

Steve couldn't help the wave of joy that swept over him, and he tightened his arms around his daughter, a hand on the back of her head as he pressed his lips to her hair. She was really there, and she knew who he was.

They didn't move for a moment, until Lily moved to tuck her head into his chest, ruffling her brown curls. Steve sat back on his heels to look at her as she went distant.

"I'm scared," she whispered, looking up at him with wide eyes. Steve nodded.

"I know. But you don't need to be, not any more. I'm gonna look after you," he told her. He absently stroked her cheek as she watched him, trying to focus. Steve smiled. "I promise."

Lily paused for a second and glanced at the door, at the viewing window they were inevitably being watched from. She lowered her voice and looked at Steve with worry in her eyes.

"Do you know where my necklace is?" she asked. Steve frowned.

"No, I'm afraid not. Do you need it?"

Lily nodded, looked down at her hands.

"More than they realise. Mum gave it to me."

Steve set his lips.

"I'll find it."


	4. Chapter 4

_**1st March 1952**_

 _Peggy left the office early, glad to be out as it was such a bright day. She'd been working hard as usual, stressed over a particularly difficult piece of code Phillips had assigned her, and was thoroughly looking forward to a quiet night in with her favourite person in the world- her daughter, Lily._

 _Peggy was hoping to surprise Lily, as it was her sixth birthday, and she knew the little girl wouldn't be expecting to see her until much later. She had been planning this day for weeks, knowing how difficult Lily found her birthdays. Despite Peggy's stories and constant answering of questions, Lily could never quite understand the fact that her daddy wasn't coming home. Peggy's heart broke every time they mentioned him._

 _A chilly March breeze ruffled Director Carter's hair as she strode quickly down the street and ducked into the shop she'd had her eye on. Organised as ever, she'd even picked out her daughter's gift during lunch the day before, deciding it would be easier to swing by and pick it up now than to try and hide it in the house overnight. Lily was a helpful little girl, and occupied herself by often doing bizarre little chores; she would most likely have found it._

 _Peggy left the shop ten minutes later with a beautiful little locket in her pocket. It was small and circular, and she knew exactly what she was going to put in it._

 _As she walked along, Peggy opened her purse and found the two little pieces of paper she'd prepared that morning, slipping one into each frame inside the locket._

 _One was a smaller version of her photograph of Steve before the serum, that she'd trimmed down carefully. The other was an informal photograph taken later, when the super soldier and Peggy had enjoyed their final night out before the mission._

 _That night._

 _Though the photo was black and white, Peggy could remember the moment in perfect, vivid colour. She and Steve stood at the bar, her in that red dress and him in his green uniform, arm tight around her waist. Their cheeks pressed together, huge smiles tinted with laughter at something he must have said._

 _Peggy felt her heart wrench as she remembered the feeling of that. She'd been so blissful, realising she was in love with Steve. And he so drastically with her._

 _The locket was shaped like a compass, engraved to look like a miniature one, for good reason. And on the back, Peggy had asked the shopkeeper to engrave a message, something she was sure Lily's father would have said to her on numerous occasions, had he been around to see her._

I'm with you 'till the end of the line.

 _Peggy snapped the locket shut and slipped it back into her pocket as soon as the images were in place, fighting the lump that had sprung up in her throat. She would not cry off her makeup in the middle of the street._

 _No one could know that Captain America was her daughter's father, for the child's safety. As an extra insurance in case anything ever happened, Peggy had been careful to select a locket that did not look like a locket at all, unless you knew how to open it. It would be a secret treasure for Lily to take comfort in for as long as she lived, an assurance of reality for a little girl who had never met the man everybody else seemed to know._

* * *

 **Hello!**

**Thank you so much for all your follows, faves and reviews! I am so amazed by the response this story has had!**

 **To answer some questions-**

 **I'm thinking this story is set somewhere in the void between the end of CA:TFA and the Avengers. I may weave in a little scene about the events of AA duringLily's recovery, who knows! ^_^ When it subsides into one-shots it will probably continue throughout the rest of the films as well, and possibly include a tiny bit of AU, because I'm better at one shots than fullstoriesxD**

 **And I love the idea that Peggy is still young too... I should think we'll get an AU about that! :D And don't worry, she's coming very soon xD**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello?"

"Ah, Director Carter. It's Dr Gale, from the Facility."

Louis Gale smiled as he heard the old woman gasp on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, Louis! How are you?"

"I'm just fine, ma'am. I hope you are too?"

Peggy chuckled.

"I would suppose that depends on what it is you're calling me about."

Louis smiled again, and pulled the relevant paperwork towards himself from across the desk.

"I should think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I take it you've had word from Captain Rogers?"

Peggy swallowed. "I... Steve has called me, yes. He said you would be in contact soon with news of my daughter," she said matter-of-factly. Dr Gale knew she was being professional, never one to betray her own emotions.

"He was right." He flicked quickly through the file in front of him. "I want you to know that we woke her up last week."

Peggy went silent. Dr Gale paused, knowing from experience she would respond in her own time. After a moment he decided to explain.

"My colleagues and I have run our tests; her levels are perfectly normal. She's breathing on her own, her heartbeat is strong, all her internal systems are running smoothly. I don't mean to make her sound like a machine, but everything is working just  
/as it should," he chuckled kindly. "I would have called you sooner, but we wanted to be sure first."

"No, that's fine," Peggy said quietly. She paused again, and this time Dr Gale just waited patiently. After another moment, he heard her take a deep breath. "How is she doing...mentally?"

Louis felt himself get a little tense, and fought to keep his voice calm.

"Very well, considering her entire being has been inactive for so long. As far as we can tell, her memories are coming back to her steadily. She requires a stimulus, but she's improving."

"And her father..."

"Steve is with her," Louis promised. "He won't leave her side. She constantly recites the stories you used to tell her about him."

"Good. I wouldn't want him anywhere else. I'd frighten her with my age," Peggy said quietly. She cleared her throat. "Thank you for your call, Louis. It's very kind of you to keep me informed. However, I'm sure you are a busy young man, so I must insist  
/you get back to work."

Dr Gale grinned fondly. "But of course, ma'am. It's no trouble. We'll let you know as soon as there are any developments. Goodnight, Director Carter."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Lily couldn't sit up or walk on her own just yet, as her muscles had lost their tone and the 'seams' holding both sinew and skin together weren't completely healed, so Steve helped her move from her bed to her chair, carried her to and from the bathroom  
/so her nurse could help her bathe, and pushed her around the facility's library so she could read and while the hours away as her muscles regrew.

Steve barely let her out of his sight, and slept in the chair in her room on most nights. He tried to teach her what he knew of modern pop culture, and answered every question she had about his time in the war and with the Howling Commandos. Steve noticed  
/that she never spoke about her own childhood.

After a week of careful manoeuvring, Lily was allowed to move herself around in a more comfortable wheelchair. Whilst it was still nothing on walking, she could at least shower herself in the facility's wet room and get around without being constantly  
/assisted. She had a little of her independence back.

One morning, Lily was sat in her wheelchair by the window in her room, elbows resting on the rail as she gazed out at the gardens beyond. She'd finally been allowed to open the blinds, now she had adjusted somewhat to the time that had passed since her  
/accident.

Steve walked up behind her, something precious in hand, marvelling at how perfect she was. He cleared his throat, making her jump.

"Oh! Dad, you scared me," Lily laughed, frowning at him. Steve grinned, heart warmed at hearing her call him 'Dad'. He wasn't sure he'd get used to that any time soon.

"I'm sorry," he chuckled back. Lily turned back to the outside as he drew level with her and looked at her. "I've got something for you."

Lily looked at him, a little wary. Steve grinned.

"Oh?"

The captain couldn't control his smile as he pulled his hand from his pocket and opened it, revealing what he'd managed to find earlier that morning. Lily's eyes lit up at the sight of her precious locket, and she gasped as he dropped it into her outstretched  
/palm.

"I found this for you," he said softly. A beautiful smile spread across Lily's face, and she looked up at him.

"Thank you so much. Where was it?"

"The doctor's office. He meant to give it to you earlier, but was afraid it'd upset you. I don't know why, I thought it was just a..."

He fell silent as Lily chuckled and popped the locket open, revealing the pictures she'd cherished as a child.

"It's a locket. Mum gave it to me when I was six. I haven't taken it off since," she said softly, looking lovingly at the photographs before holding it up for Steve to see. His eyes softened as he realised what was in it.

"Oh, I... Wow. You had these all your life?"

"Most of it. Mum wanted me to know everything about you."

Steve smiled a little, thinking of Peggy.

"Sure she did."

Lily then let out a contented sigh as she fastened the chain around her neck and snapped the locket shut. Steve watched her carefully, wondering if he should ask what he had in mind. Licking his lips, he decided to go for it. This was something he couldn't  
/stop thinking about.

"Did you have a happy childhood, Lily?" he asked gently, gaze steady. Lily looked away from him, busied herself with polishing her locket with her fingers.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" Her voice was quieter, more tense. Steve noticed instantly.

"Because I'm your father. It's important to me."

When Lily didn't respond, Steve sighed and pulled a chair from the corner of the room. He sat down beside her, more comfortable now they were on eye level. When she still didn't move, he reached over and pulled her hand into both of his own.

"Please tell me."

Lily looked at him quickly, then sighed and looked back at her locket. She seemed to steel herself, then spoke with a nervous voice.

"It's...or rather, it was hard," she started carefully. Steve noticed the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "The kids at school, they said horrible things about Mum. We always said my dad left her a widow in the war, but after a while the rumours started.  
/They used to say she was a sleeper."

Steve's heart sank.

"Did you believe them?"

Lily looked at him then, horrified that he would even suggest it.

"No, never. But lots of people did." She frowned, then chuckled to herself. "They stopped when she got married. But then they'd tell me no one wanted me because..."

She stopped, not sure if she should say the reason. It was too painful, with Steve sat next to her. He frowned.

"Because what?"

Lily hesitated another moment, then shook her head. He may as well know. He had a right.

"Because my daddy never came home," she whispered. Steve felt as though his chest had been ripped open.

"Oh, honey...I..."

"It's not your fault," Lily said firmly. She wiped her face and nodded to herself. "You would have been there if you could. But you had to save the world. And you didn't know. Neither did Mum." She looked at him then, and Steve simply melted when he saw  
/the steely resolve in her face. The resolve that had gotten her through ten years of snide comments at school.

Guilt swirling in the pit of his stomach, Steve placed a hand in her hair and kissed his daughter's forehead. He had no words to reply to what she'd said, and could only hope that his gestures would demonstrate how he felt.

He was so proud of her.

* * *

The next morning, when Steve sought out his girl, she had managed to escape the building and wheel herself to the top of the steps to the garden, where she was sat simply watching the world go by.

"I've just been speaking to the doc."

"Anything new?" Lily sighed, watching geese fly overhead. She envied their freedom, as she wasn't expecting anything exciting. She didn't see Steve's face split into a huge grin.

"He said it's time for you to speak to your mom."

 _Speak to your mom._

The wordsspun in her head as Lily turned to stare at him, her mouth falling slightly open. She hadn't been expecting that.

"My mum?"

Steve nodded.

"She's still alive?"

At this, Steve couldn't help the pang of sadness that hit him in the chest. No one had even thought to tell her Peggy was still alive, and waiting to see her.

"Of course she is. She's been waiting to see you again for all these years."

Lily said nothing, just looked back out at the gardens, tears pricking in her eyes. Why a facility like this had such beautiful features, she couldn't understand. Steve reached and squeezed her shoulder.

"Do you want to do it now?"

Lily took a deep breath, then nodded quickly. Her eyes flitted along the side of the building, where she knew there were researchers working, and across the few people who were sat outside.

"Inside, where they won't hear us."

She reached for the wheels of her chair and spun herself around, surprisingly agile, and rolled back to the glass door that opened right into her room. She looked up at Steve as he followed her in and shut the door behind them.

"Will you help me up?"

Steve smiled at her and leaned down to scoop her legs up in one arm and wrap her torso in the other. Lily bit her lip against the pain as she wrapped her arm around his neck, and stifled a cry as he lifted her onto the bed. Taking shallow breaths to fight  
/the pain, she arranged her legs into a comfortable position and beckoned for her father to sit down next to her. As he did, he shifted her pillow and frowned.

"I'm sorry that has to hurt so much."

Lily shrugged. "It's fine, I'll cope."

They looked at each other for a moment, and Steve could see her getting nervous. Wordlessly, he punched Peggy's number into the phone and lifted it to his ear.

Steve winked at Lily as Peggy picked up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Best Girl. How are you?"

"Steve!" Peggy was delighted. "Oh, wonderful, how are you?"

"I'm just fine," Steve told her, smiling. He reached over to stop Lily's fidgeting hands. "You remember what I told you a few days ago?"

"Oh, of course," Peggy said softly. Steve smiled.

"I've got someone here who'd like to talk to you," he said gently. He heard Peggy gasp as he held the phone out to Lily, and she gripped his hand as she took it shakily. Slowly, the girl lifted the phone and looked at it.

"Mum?"

There was silence for a moment, then Peggy gasped. "Oh, darling, is that really you?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Peggy laughed- a bright, nervous laugh that showed how shocked she was feeling. Steve had put her on speaker so that he could listen.

"Oh, my love, my Sarah-Lily, I can't believe you're alive..."

"I know, mum, me neither."

"And you're English."

Lily paused, then burst into laughter. Steve chuckled too.

"Yeah, I don't quite know what's happened there. Perhaps it's listening to all these English doctors in my subconscious for the last fifty odd years."

"It suits you," Peggy said softly, a smile in her voice. Lily couldn't help but grin.

"Thanks."

Peggy paused for a moment, and Lily glanced at her father as he winked at her again, immensely proud that she was holding it together. Peggy piped up after a long sigh.

"So, tell me, how are you faring at this moment in time? Is your body in full working order? I understand Dr Thomas' team have done a full restoration," she said calmly, clearly trying to treat it as a formal matter. Steve could hear the tension in her  
/voice, as he knew Dr Gale had already explained this to her and she just wanted to hear it from the girl herself. Lily glanced down at herself.

"Well, sort of. I'm in one piece, for a start. I've got full feeling in my legs, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to move everything in good time. I'm just sore at the moment."

"Good. And how's your head?"

Lily smiled.

"Took a while to kick in, but I can remember everything. I don't know how, but they saved my brain. I'm so glad they did that," she admitted. Peggy chuckled.

"Yes, me too. You know, darling, I was so relieved you made it to your teen years. That was what made Dr Thomas decide to try his theory. You were almost properly developed, but with enough potential to grow into whatever changes he needed to make."

"Yeah," Lily chuckled. She sighed, and nodded a little. "I died on my birthday."

"So did your father. Did you know that?"

Lily looked up at Steve then, a curious smirk on her lips. He smiled in amusement.

"No."

"Well, he did. That's what makes you both special," Peggy told her matter-of-factly. She chuckled, and Lily smiled at the sound. Peggy was quiet for a moment.

"Oh, my dear, I don't know what else I can say. I've waited for this day for so long, not even knowing if it would ever come."

"Since the first of March, 1960," Lily whispered, hearing the pain in her mother's voice. Peggy sighed.

"Since the first of March, 1960," she repeated thoughtfully. "And I can't wait to see you."

Peggy waited for Lily to say anything, but noticed when her daughter went frightfully silent. Steve frowned as Lily pulled back the hem of her skirt to reveal one thigh, and saw for the first time the long, pale slashes that covered it. The lines went  
/in all directions, bits of skin not quite the same colour, making her look like a patchwork doll. Steve's heart dropped as he noticed that the scarring covered the entirety of both her legs, and guessed that her ribs and stomach were the same. Lily  
/swallowed as her thoughts followed the same path, and on the end of the line her mother's voice was serious.

"Lily, darling, what's the matter?"

Lily fought back tears. "Nothing, mum. Honest. You might not want to see me just yet, is all." She forced brightness into her voice. "I've got to go, but I'll call you as soon as I can, I promise."

"Hm. All right, my darling. I'm glad you're ok. I love you."

"I love you more."

Peggy chuckled, and Lily hung up. She set the phone on the bed and moved her other hand to her leg, tracing the raised slashes across her thigh. Steve watched in silence, ready to stop her if she upset herself too much.

"Lily," he said softly. She blinked, and pulled back the rest of her skirt, revealing the same kinds of scars on her other leg.

"Look at me," she whispered. She looked quickly up at her father, and his heart broke as he saw the tears in her eyes. "How can I honestly tell her I'm ok and on the mend when I look like this? She wouldn't want to see me in this state."

Steve put a hand under her chin and tilted her head up, coaxing her eyes away from her legs so they met his.

"There is nothing wrong with the way you look. And to your mother, anything is better than when she last saw you under that truck."

She tried to look away, a few tears falling down her cheek, but Steve held her gaze.

"You are beautiful, Lily. And I'm not just saying that because you're my daughter," he promised. He wiped away her tears with his fingers, then pulled her into a hug. "Although I am half responsible for your good looks."

This made Lily chuckle, and she wiped her face.

"Thank you," she murmured. Steve just held her tighter.

"I mean it," he whispered.

* * *

 **Hello!**

 **I've finally got this bit up! Yesss! ^_^**

 **Thank you for all your support, it really is very kindof you all. I absolutely love writing these scenes. I must apologise again for the disjointed style but I promise the whole thing will fill out as I get more ideas. I'm just awful at writing chronologically xD**

 **One shots coming soon! I've beenhaving trouble with the app, hence the delay.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	6. Headcanons

Hello!

 **I'm** _ **so**_ _ **sorry**_ **for disappearing! I've been working lots, and haven't had time for a while. But I still have lots left to write for you, so I promise that will come.**

 ****

 **Here are my Headcanons. Please accept them as some form of apology, as I know how frustrating it is when a story is left for ages. I was going to wait until I'd actually written some up before posting, but hey, the prompts are quite sweet in themselves. (May have a couple ofspoilers)Please let me know ifyou have any ideas for scenesyou'd like to see Lily and Steve in, or something in modern life you'd like tosee them deal with.I'm just as curious!**

 ****

 **I do have some of these written up into full scenes, which I will post later as they're not very chronological.**

 ****

 **Thank you for** your support :) 

* * *

Headcanons

Although she lives with Steve in his flat, Lily still likes to give him space. For this reason, she is the Avengers' best nightmare support. Everyone in the tower sleeps with their door unlocked anyway in case someone needs company through the night,  
so no one says anything if they feel Lily slip under their covers. Secretly, everybody is warmed to think she trusts them enough to sleep beside them. 

* * *

Lily has serious body confidence issues. Although she is beautifully muscular and slender in stature, she hates summer clothing because of the heavy scarring all over her body from the ribs down. The marks are from where her entire form was reconstructed  
by surgeons, so they earn respect, but she is cripplingly embarrassed by them. Steve constantly worries about her, and reminds her subtly how perfect he thinks she is. 

* * *

When Peggy died, Lily walked around in shorts and a crop top for a week. Showing her multitude of scars was her mark of respect for everything her mother had suffered and sacrificed to give her a life. 

* * *

Steve's little girl brings out the best in everyone. Her father is of course besotted with her, and Bruce is a wonderful confidant when she needs a kind word or honest opinion. Clint tells his kids stories about her, and they love it when she visits.  
Natasha has become unusually maternal, something that Steve is endlessly grateful for after losing Peggy, as sometimes not even a father's touch can come close to that of a woman.

The rest of the guys are Lily's honourary uncles, much like the Howling Commandos had been when she was little. Thor and Tony insist on trying to find her a suitor worthy of her 'beauty, charm and terrifying athleticism', while Sam and Bucky insist  
on vetting each one. All of them are ridiculously protective over her, and spoil her rotten at any opportunity.

Even Coulson, Lily's honourary Grandpa, loves the fact he's included in their little family. 

* * *

Bucky is Lily's godfather. He always has been, even when Peggy thought him dead- a detail that humbles him whenever he thinks about it. Needless to say he completely adores his goddaughter and always leaves his door open or stays with her when Steve  
isn't home. 

* * *

JARVIS has a soft spot for Lily, and calls her Little Miss Carter. No one knows quite how, but Tony's pretty sure its one of Clint's little 'improvements'. 

* * *

Lily has frequent nightmares about her accident and having her body reconstructed. Whenever he hears her getting restless or starting to scream, Steve goes into her room, picks her up and carries her back to his own bed, where he picks out Peggy's  
old perfume and sprays it into the bedclothes. The scent of her mother combined with Steve's arms around her instantly calms Lily down. Steve still keeps stocks of Peggy's perfume solely for this purpose. 

* * *

In the fifties, Lily was bullied terribly at school for not knowing her father. However, when she died, the other kids found themselves wracked with guilt. Fifty years later, when she resurfaced, she was bombarded with apologies from her sixty year  
old classmates, but received strings of insults at her new school for her grotesque scars. She suffered in silence for months, until Bucky finally got her to tell him what was wrong. The next day, he showed up with his metal arm and glared at  
everyone until Lily came out of class. No one has bothered her since. 

* * *

Lily talks to JARVIS as though he's still the butler she knew as a small child. JARVIS loves this, and Tony even modified him so he can use phrases and nicknames she remembers from her childhood. Since Peggy died, this has been a great comfort to  
Lily. 

* * *

Natasha thinks about Lily just as much as Steve does. She used to dream about having her own children, and though having grown up in a different time, the young girl represents everything Natasha wanted her own daughter to be. Natasha's never told  
the others, so they can't understand her attachment, but they think it's sweet. Knowing vaguely how she feels, when one of them is not home Lily calls her daily, but still Natasha worries about her constantly. 

* * *

The Avengers have an unspoken etiquette when it comes to Lily. They are the largest and most permanent family she's ever had, so it is on all of them to take care of her and train her to be an agent. As well as Steve, she is particularly close to  
Natasha, who is often referenced as her 'figurative stepmom'. Knowing Peggy would be proud, all of them secretly love it. All the guys are her figurative uncles. The running joke therefore is that Coulson is her 'figurative grandpa'. Secretly,  
he absolutely loves that too. 

* * *

As part of Coulson's 'family values' scheme for Lily, he suggested that the Avengers each give her an article of clothing. Steve gave her the jacket he wore before the serum, Clint gave her his old training sweatshirt, Natasha gave her a ring that  
only she knows the origins of. Thor gave her the checkered shirt he first wore when he came to earth, and Tony gave her a Stark Industries tee. Bruce gave her a necktie, which she wears around her hair as a bandana. Loki, rather begrudgingly,  
gave her a scarf. Bucky gave her one of his training shirts, and Sam gave her his best running socks. 

* * *

As a typical 1940s gentleman, Steve is too bashful to openly talk to his teenage daughter about matters specific to being a woman. Instead, as Lily is too shy to ask Natasha (who would be happy to help if she did), the two simply communicate by writing  
each other little notes. For example, once a month Steve will fill Lily's secret cupboard with her favourite chocolate (Cadbury's Bourneville, if you're interested) and leave a note with the words 'Save some for me ~ Dad'. Lily will also go to  
check her shelf in the bathroom and find one with 'Need anything?' written in his familiarly graceful letters, to which she will either reply with 'Yes please,' and carefully list the items, or 'Not now, thank you :)'. 

* * *

Steve has decided that as soon as Lily shows any interest in a young man of her age, he will warn her uncles (the avengers) off with a stern word. He always hated being teased for such things. 

* * *

Most of the time, now she's grown into her stitches, Lily can walk and run and use her legs just like everyone else. She still has bad days, where everything hurts and she's confined to her wheelchair, but she considers it a fair price for her life.  
The only problem is that after anything more strenuous than daily life, like when Ultron came along or pre-rehabilitation Bucky tried to kidnap her, she is stuck in her chair for longer, often about a week. She hates having to rely on everyone,  
and puts on a lighthearted face, but Steve can tell when her spirits get low and has JARVIS keep an eye on her. 

* * *

Lily has a very severe anxiety disorder. She struggles so drastically with everyday interactions that sometimes she just hides away all day, missing her lessons and training with no explanation. Steve is the only one who actually understands how she  
struggles, and she made him promise never to tell anyone else. He agreed, of course, but has since dropped many little hints to Bucky and Natasha, who realised very quickly. As both are assassins with short tempers, Lily wasn't quite aware that  
their fierce protectiveness was over her until the day Tony first teased her about her British accent. Natasha instantly adopted the 'Queen's Speech' as he called it and Bucky simply crushed his mug 'accidentally' onto Tony's lap. 

* * *

Steve's parents were Irish immigrants, so he is fluent in Irish Gaelic, and used to speak it at home as a child. When Lily found this out she put all her efforts into learning it, and didn't tell him until she presented him with a Father's Day card  
that read 'tú a bheith i gcónaí ar mo laoch. Is breá liom tú'. They now speak it to each other in their apartment and on the phone. 

* * *

Waking up in the 21st century, Lily's greatest sadness is that she can't wear the 1950s style that she dreamed about as a child. She just can't seem to grasp modern fashion. Occasionally, Steve takes the time to style her hair for her, curling it  
to look just like the women of their era. He loves seeing his daughter dressed as she would have been back in the sixties, had she grown up, although each time he is hit with a pang of pain when he sees just how much she looks like Peggy. 

* * *

For Lily's 70th birthday (18th, if you don't count the frozen years), Steve and Natasha put together a themed party in a small restaurant over in Brooklyn, not at all far from the house she grew up in. The whole thing was set in the fifties, the decade  
Lily remembers living in, with all the guests wearing fitting attire and all her favourite big band music from her childhood playing.

When she saw it, she cried. 

* * *

The Maximoff twins have adopted Lily as their little sister. Wanda takes her shopping, teaches her all things to do with makeup, discusses what she likes to call 'girl things'. Pietro is another one who is fiercely protective, but likes to argue that  
he is closer to her because he is younger. The three of them often go out together, watching films or visiting places, and Steve is glad Lily has some friends that are at least closer to her age. 


	7. Freedom

The day finally came when Dr Gale allowed Lily to leave the facility. Steve had planned to visit Peggy straight away, and had gone out and bought Lily some modern clothes especially.

When he gave them to her in the morning, a look of bemusement came across her face.

"What on earth are these?" the teenager asked, holding up something blue and stretchy. Steve grinned.

"They're called jeans. You'll love them, I promise. All the girls your age are wearing them."

Lily raised an eyebrow, then couldn't help herself and burst out laughing.

"I'm in my sixties."

Steve couldn't help but laugh. "You know what I mean."

Lily's devious smirk didn't leave her lips, but she smiled at him more genuinely.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Come on, get dressed, and I'll meet you in the hall in ten minutes."

"Yessir."

Bang on ten minutes later, Steve was pushing Lily down the hall to the small foyer Dr Gale had been waiting in. Once the young man had signed the last of the paperwork, he looked across at lily with a grin.

"Ok, you're all set."

Lily was so excited, she leapt out of her wheelchair and hugged her doctor, who was very surprised but humbled.

"Now, Lily, you'll improve over time, but not if you insist on jumping at people," he chuckled, hugging her back. Lily grinned from her place on his shoulder.

"I'll keep it to a minimum," she promised, pulling away and looking at him. "Thank you," she said honestly, all humour leaving her. Dr Gale smiled, and touched her cheek.

"You're welcome, my dear. You will always be my grandfather's greatest inspiration, and my greatest success."

Lily grinned at him, then went to hug her nurse. Steve watched her, then stepped forward to shake the Doctor's hand.

"I can't say how grateful I am, Sir. You are the reason I got to meet my little girl."

The doc smiled.

"It wasn't just me. My grandfather couldn't have done it without Director Carter. She was the one who let us turn her child into a scientific investigation," he said gently, his honesty not ill intended. Steve smiled.

"Sure."

Lily insisted on walking out of the facility, much to her father's amusement. Dr Gale happily offered to have her belongings shipped back to the States, so Lily could enjoy being outside and walking for as long as possible. They made their way down the street, Lily's arms looped through his, and Steve couldn't stop grinning.

"I'm taking my baby girl home," he chuckled softly. Lily laughed.

"Yes, I suppose you are." She was quiet for a moment, then tilted her head. "What will the others think of me?"

"The Avengers?" Steve asked. Lily nodded, and he smiled. "They can't wait to adopt you into the family. They've been waiting to meet you since I first found out about you."

"And when was that?"

"About six weeks before you woke up."

"Over a month?"

Steve nodded, amused. "Yeah. I visited you every few days, sometimes stayed over. Eventually I just moved in here for the last couple weeks. They wanted to know why I kept disappearing," he laughed. Lily grinned.

"You had a good reason," she chuckled. Steve nodded and looked at her.

"That I did."


	8. After so very long

Hey!

I just wanted to say thank you. I haven't updated this in so long, yet people are still reading and following and favouriting it. This note is to let you all know that in the last two years, I have actually been expanding Lily's story throughout the entire series of movies. Lily's life is much more well founded, and her story is far more intricate than when I first started writing this. I'm almost finished. So thank you for your patience and your interest- this story will continue, I promise. Lily is pretty damn cool, too.


	9. A survivor

_**So I was writing, as usual, and I scrolled past this little segment. It sits quite nicely as a taster for what's to come.**_

 _ **This particular scene is set just after the events of Captain America- The Winter Soldier. Hopefully this gives you a nice little insight into who Lily is, and what her story has developed into.**_

 _ **Thank you for your support.**_

 _Never trust a survivor until you know what they did to stay alive._

Lily groaned as she cracked her eyes open, rolling onto her side and shoving her hand up under her pillow. Why she was awake again, she couldn't understand, but she was more irritated that the _same damn sentence_ was turning over and over again in her brain.

It was her stepfather who first said it to her, one of the days where he'd been stressed at work and she'd asked him why. He was always busy, and he had good ways of looking at things, so whenever he gave her advice she was always sure to pay attention. It made sense, she thought, because who can possibly know the full story if there's no one left to tell it?

Even now, Lily still held onto the words as a mantra, still thought 'what would Daniel do?' every time she was in a questionable situation. The only difference was that the phrase was never supposed to apply to her.

 _Never trust a survivor until you know what they did to stay alive._

Now, in this new millennium, _she_ was a survivor. She knew that now. She'd hurt more people than her poor young mind could process, and been 'reset' more times than that. Sure, she'd only been woken up for good after the battle of New York, but her army of SHIELD-turned-Hydra scientists had to run tests, didn't they?

Tests that left scars in her psyche, no matter how many times they burned her brain with electricity. Tests that twisted her body to breaking point and back again, tests that measured her reaction times by giving her targets that fought back with advancing levels of training.

These were the tests that broke every inch of her so that her handlers could put her back together stronger and more lethal than before, all locked into place with a cruel repetition of riddles and words that triggered something in her mind that she would never learn to live with.

Lily now lived in fear of being sweet-talked out of self control, and it was _breaking_ her.

Frustrated, the girl clenched her fists and threw the sheets off of herself, sitting up and twisting to get out of bed. As she padded through the darkness to the door she checked the watch she'd forgotten to take off. Three-thirty in the morning. She huffed and twisted the doorknob silently.

It had been weeks since the helicarriers had been destroyed. Zola's algorithm was now a pointless reel of data, and Steve was fighting fit again, but the fight between the world and Hydra was far from over. Steve and Natasha had done their parts, sure, but the battles raging inside Lily's mind were not the kind her 'parents' could fight with guns and combat strategies.

This was her own battle, and she was losing drastically.

The teenager tried her best to silence the pessimistic thoughts as she trudged down the short hall from her bedroom to the living room, taking extra care not to make any sound past her father's door. The man was a surprisingly light sleeper, used to catching naps in transport vehicles and bases, and to Lily's great amusement he appeared to be even more sensitive to sounds of movement made by her. _Mother's instinct_ , he'd called it with a wry smile when she'd confronted him about it one morning.

She smiled to herself, clinging to the slight joy the memory brought her, before she walked out towards the kitchen and caught sight of the bullet holes her dear Uncle Buck had left them in the wall.

 _Oh, right. There's the reason I'm up again_ , she thought bitterly. _Can I not get more than an hour of sleep without being reminded of what we are?_

Slowly, though her movements were still effortlessly calculated, Lily took out a glass and filled it with water. Her thoughts incoherent, she put her back to the counter and slid to the floor, cross legged in the corner with her glass cradled carefully between her fingers.

 _God_ , life wasn't supposed to feel like this. Was it?

After a moment of silence, Lily decided she should at least pinpoint what was causing her to sleep so badly. Not quite brave enough to close her eyes lest she see the faces, she picked one of the bulbs in the light fixture on the ceiling and stared at it intently.

Hydra had overthrown SHIELD- that much was a given. Lily nodded to herself as she ticked it off the metaphorical list. The Algorithm had been intercepted, and catastrophe averted. That was a win, for sure. But it had also become apparent that Hydra was more widespread than the team initially thought, so their working lives for the next few whatevers would be spent tracking and destroying whatever they could find.

Lily gnawed on her lip slightly, eyes darting to the next bulb as she took a sip of her water. Her career options weren't what was losing her sleep, though. That's where it got more personal.

In the many years before her revival, Lily knew she'd been subjected to levels of programming that surpassed the limits of being humane. She was aware that she'd done missions, been examined and experimented on initially for the good of humanity under SHIELD, but eventually under the sick control of Hydra. She knew she was somehow linked to the Red Room, where Natasha was trained, but as of yet she wasn't sure she wanted to know exactly how.

The fact was that Lily didn't know enough about her own behaviour to trust herself, and somewhere out there were people who held the key to her innermost potential. She was a killing drone that could be activated at any moment, and there was nothing she could do to fight it. She'd passed the scientists tests at all costs because she'd been programmed to _survive_.

Without thinking, Lily crushed the glass in her hand and jumped when the shards clinked against the tiles and the water bled all over her lap. She yelped as she noticed the blood that followed, and scrambled across the icy tiles to the cupboard where they kept the first aid kit. Tears blurred her vision and her hearing went fuzzy as she fumbled for something to stop the bleeding, so she barely noticed when Steve came looking for her with worry in his eyes, his voice falling on deaf ears as he watched his daughter violently shaking her head and repeating what she believed to be true.

 _She_ was the survivor, and she could _never_ be trusted.


End file.
